Straight spring controlled escapement regulating system



Aug. 4, 1953 P. H. FIDELMAN 2,647,362

STRAIGHT SPRING CONTROLLED ESCAPEMENT REGULATING SYSTEM Filed Nov. 2. 1949 vI4 3| FIG. /7// 43 34 INVENTOR.

Paul H. Fidelmon ATTOR Y Patented Aug. 4, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STRAIGHT SPRING CONTROLLED ESCAPE- MENT REGULATING SYSTEM The present invention relates to an escapement system for a spring actuated motor or mechanism such as used in horologicalv instruments and devices, and is an extension of my invention described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 97,211, filed June 4, 1949, for Escapement Regulating Means.

In my said copending application I have described improved means for regulating the rate of escapement of a spring actuated motor of mechanism of the character described which operates by regulating the time or speed of the pallet oscillation, rather than the magnitude of the pallet stroke, without theuse of the conventional balance wheel and hair spring.

The escapement regulating means of my said copending application included a regulating wheel in operative engagement with, the pallet of the escapement system and resilient means for engaging the regulating wheel to limit its rotary movement in each direction and to impart a recoil impulse to it, at the end of each stroke or movement in one direction, to start it in motion in the opposite direction.

The present invention is directed to the provision of a further improved escapement regulating system through the improvement of the regulating wheel recoil arrangement and means for the escapement regulating system of my said application.

t is an object of the present invention to provide a recoil arrangement for the regulating wheel of an escapement regulatin system of the character described which is of simplified construction and incorporates a minimum number of parts.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a recoil mechanism for the regulating wheel of an escapement system of the character described which is of improved operating efficiency.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a recoil mechanism and arrangement for a regulating wheel of an escapement regulatin system of the character described which is compact and occupies a minimum amount of space and is, therefore, of greater adaptability for use even in such small compact mechanisms as watch movements, or the like.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a recoil mechanism for the regulating wheel of an escapement regulating system of the character described having a resilient, recoil producing element which is of minimum size and. therefore, of minimum responsiveness to changes in temperature and moisture in the air.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a recoil mechanism and arrangement for the regulating wheel of an escapement regulating system of the character described permitting a minimum oscillating stroke for the regulating wheel and making possible, therefore, the use of lighter materials.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a recoil mechanism and arrangement for the regulating wheel of an escapement system of the character described which makes possible all of the advantages described in my said copending application for the regulating system therein described.

Still further advantages and superiorities of the recoil mechanism and arrangement of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the more or less diagrammatic embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings and from the description following. It is to be understood, however, that such embodiment is shown by way of illustration only, to make the principles and practice of the invention more readily comprehensible, and without any intent of limiting the invention to the specific details therein shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a more or less diagrammatic top plan view, partly broken away, of an escapement regulating system to which the present invention relates, showing the recoil means and arrangement of the present invention; with the parts arranged as at the end of one stroke;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 showing the position of the several parts at the end of the opposed stroke;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the mechanism of Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view showing the regulating wheel and the parts in operative engagement with it, in the position of Fig. 2.

Referring more specifically to the accompanyin drawings, there is shown in such drawings the essential and material parts of the escapement system to which the present invention relates, in more or less diagrammatic representation, including the regulating means, which system comprises a scape wheel ID fixed on a staff II-, which is rotatably supported between a top bridge member [2 and a bottom bridge member I3, or their equivalents, in the conventional manner. The connection of the scape wheel ID to the driving or main spring of the mechanism,

which is readily understood by and well known to those skilled in the art is, for that reason, not shown.

The scape wheel I3 may be of any conventional type, formed with radial, peripheral teeth [4, 5 separated by spaces l5. These teeth 14 may be of any type or form conventionally used on scape wheels, such as the type illustrated, whichhave rectangular lower portions i6 and upper portions formed with a sloping forward face I! adapted to permit the ready sliding movement of a pallet pin thereon or thereover as the scape wheel rotates in the direction of such pin;

Also mounted between bridges l2"'and' l3 isa" pallet, generally designated as 29, fixedona sta-fl 2|, which is rotatably supported between the said bridges l2 and It. The pallet 2a is formed witli" the diverging arms 22 and 23 disposed at suit able angle relative one another for proper operative association with thescapewheel l0 and its teeth Hi; the arms 22 and 23 carrying, respectively, the pallet pins 24 and 25.

The pallet 21? is also formed with a rear arm 26; which has an approximately V-shaped forked end 2?.

Rotatably supported between thebridges IZ'and I3 on a staff 38 to one side of the palletZB, in proximity to the forked end All thereof, isa regulating disc or wheel 3|, which mayhavethe hub 32, a web or spokes 33, and a peripheral continuous portion 3:2. The wheel 3% is disposed'in a plane either above the plane oithe pallet 20, as illustrated, or below it, and has set-.thereinto, as in one of the spokes 33, apintfi, in .position to engage within the forked end Zlof thepalletlfl; to operatively interengage the pallet with the regulating wheel 3 I Suitably supported from one of thebridges, vas from the bridge $2, from a post or. stud 40, in a plane substantially parallel to the plane-ofithe regulating wheel 3 l, and preferablypartially overl-apping'it, is a leaf spring 4!. Such leaf spring 4! is preferably positioned to the side of the staff 30 opposite the pallet 2i] and in. approximate alinement with the pallet armifi, andis secured in place-at its end furthest from the staff 30, so that its free end approaches or partly overlaps the regulating wheel 3!.

The spring 5i carries on its free end.a-U- shaped member ,2, which in theillustrative embodiment straddles the staff 38 between its-sides 43 and 44, respectively and also the extension of the pin-35. The width of the member ,2, or the distance between its sides 43 and 44 is-lessthan the magnitude of the operating strokeof-the pin 35as limited by the movement of-the arm 26 of the pallet, so that as it moves in one. direction and approaches the stroke end in that direction, the pin 3'5 will strike a side of the member. 42, as side 43, in Fig. l, tensing the spring M, which will recoil and start the pin 35-and. wheel3lon its stroke in the opposed direction to have the'pin 35 contact the side 54 of member 42, .as in Fig. 2.

While the illustrative embodiment shows the spring 4i positioned in opposed relation to the pallet and to the opposite side of the wheel 3| relative the pallet 26, with pin 35 projecting from both sides of the wheel 3!, it may here be stated that both spring 6! and pallet 2fl may lie to the same side of the staff 36 and on the same side of the wheel 3|, the pin 35, in the last instance, extending a little longer from the wheel 3!, and that a separate pin may be provided for recoil purposes, if desired.

It may also be here stated that suitable means may be provided for regulating the tension of spring 4|, as by shortening its effective length, in any of the ways described in my copending aforesaid application or in any of my copending applications named therein.

It will be noted from Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings that the recoil mechanism for the escapement :system'tof the present invention is selfbanking, .thestafi? 3| limiting the movement of the U-shaped member 42 to an extent which prevents its escape from said U-shaped member and from the forked end 2! of the pallet 20.

This-- completes the description of the recoil mechanism" for the escapement regulating systemroffth'e present invention. It will be apparent that such mechanism is simple in construction, including butasingle resilient member of simple shape: and utilizes but a single pin, both for pallet engagement and recoil; that it is compact and space saving, particularly due to the overlappingof the spring and U-shaped member with the. regulating wheel past its supporting staff j thatit isself banking and requires no additional banking pins; .that'permits of a short oscillating strokeiorthe regulating wheel and the use of lightermateria'ls'; and'that it is highly efiective to provid'ai positive and regular escapement rate for the system with which it is used.

It is also apparent that numerous variations and." modifications, other than the ones already pointed out above, may be made by any one skille'diin'the art, in accordance with the principles oftheinvention hereinabove set forth and without the useof any inventive ingenuity. I desire, therefore; to be protected for any and all suchvariatibns and'modifications that may be made withinthe spirit of the present invention andthe'scope of the' claims hereto appended.

What]; claim is:

1'. In'an 'escapement system for a wound spring actuated motor; a scape wheel actuated by said wound" spring, a pallet operatively associated wlth'said'scape'wheel, said pallet having an arm extending away from said scape wheel, said arm having a forked end, aregulating wheel rotatably'supportedon a staff in overlapping relation withsaid pallet arm for rotation in a plane p'ara'llelto the plane of the pallet arm, a driving'pinon'saidregulating wheel engaging within said forked pallet arm end, a straight spring supported'by one end in approximately diametrically'opposed relation to said pallet arm with respect to said regulating wheel and'overlapping said wheel with its free end, a recoid pin on said regulating wheel, and a Ushaped member on the free end of said spring arranged to have itsside encompass said staff and said recoil pin.

2. The escapement system of claim 1, wherein said pallet arm and said spring are disposed along opposed faces of said regulating wheel and said recoil pin is an extension of said driving PAUL H. FIDELMAN.

References Cited'in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 617,852. Colburn Jan. 17, 1899 867,015 Coullery Sept. 24, 1907 2,124,019 Wilmeth July 19, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 19:5698 Switzerland May 19, 1900 

